The new heap leach plant could fast-track production of 50,000 ounces of gold per annum at the Mankarga-5 deposit. (Image source: Patrick Huber/Wikimedia Commons)West African Resources has purchased a second-hand heap leach plant in Burkina Faso, to produce gold from the Bousla Project's Mankarga-5 gold deposit

The Bousla Project in Burkina Faso covers over 6,000 square kilometres and 200 kilometres of strike length of early Proterozoic Birimian green-stone belts, known to be lucrative for gold mineralisation. With a capacity of 1.6mn tonnes per year, the heap leach plant was acquired with the package including primary and secondary crushers, agglomerator, conveyor and radial stacker.

West African Resources believes the heap leach plant could help fast-track the recently acquired Mankarga-5 deposit into production, processing 1.6 Mtpa to achieve initial production of at least 50,000 ounces of gold per annum. Mankarga-5 might undergo a resource upgrade by end of the current quarter. A preliminary economic assessment and scoping study will also be done in the first half of the year.

In January 2014, West African Resources acquired Channel Resources, which owned the Tanlouka Permit hosting the Mankarga-5 deposit. It also recently reaffirmed gold grades at the Mankarga-5 deposit intersecting up to 15 metres at 4.69g/t gold from 17 metres; including 7m at 9.15g/t gold ending in mineralisation.

With a targeted gold production from Mankarga-5 in 2015, West African Resources is likely to make a low risk transition from explorer to producer.